Shaedon Sharpe doesn’t have a nickname yet. Let’s get a trend started. “Baby Kobe” is lighting the NBA up in his sophomore season.
NBADraft.net summed it all up with their profile of him; “An incredibly athletic wing … An elite run/jump athlete with excellent strength to play through contact and play physical … showed three-level scoring ability and sound shooting mechanics … At 6’6, 210 pounds, Sharpe has a good NBA frame with potentially more growth on the way … Tremendous length with a near 7-foot wingspan … Big, strong hands give him excellent control of the ball … Shows good self-creation ability with tight handles and a step-back jumper that allows him to create a ton of separation … Has developed a patented fade to his jumper that gives him more space to get his shot away … Can seal off in the low post and has a scoring arsenal with his back turned as well in the high post … One of the highest upside players available for this year’s draft …”
With all this, why isn’t Sharpe mentioned in conversations of casual NBA fans? That’s probably because of this last line – “One of the highest upside players available for this year’s draft.” What makes this line so different from the rest? It implies that Sharpe is a raw prospect – one meant to be developed. While that may have been true last year, “Baby Kobe” is looking like a superstar this season. Sporting supreme athleticism and a deep bag of offensive tricks, Sharpe is penetrating through offenses with ease.
That brings us back to my question. Why aren’t more people talking about Sharpe? It’s because people still believe he has significant leaks in his game. Sharpe missed his whole college season at Kentucky, declaring for the NBA draft purely based on what people saw in his play from high school. Commonly considered overrated, Sharpe has been known to have issues with consistency and mentality. Athleticism isn’t everything. Yet for Shaedon Sharpe, maybe it doesn’t need to be.
Let’s look at the numbers. He’s had a 10.2 ppg increase since last year, as well as significant increases in rebounds and efficiency. His three-point shooting has certainly gone up, and he’s making them at a higher clip as well. These leaps weren’t unprecedented though. Along with the number, Sharpe is even being praised by his coach!
Yet, out of all of these things, Shaedon Sharpe has one intangible that differentiates the beasts and the purely talented. He has no fear factor. Sharpe is like Ja Morant in that sense, he’ll go up to tear the rim down every single time. Sharpe has no fear of trying out new things, his game has evolved a lot. He doesn’t care if he is humiliated or ridiculed because he tries to play like a guard. Shaedon Sharpe is fearless.
To wrap things up, we will be hearing “Baby Kobe’s” name for a while to come. This emergence is no fluke. Looking at the numbers, the mentality, and the hustle, Shaedon Sharpe is ready to make that superstar leap, and we are all here to witness it. Mamba Out.
